Animal crate for pick-up trucks

ABSTRACT

An animal crate for use in connection with pick-up trucks, said crate being adapted to be releasably secured to the exterior side of either or both of the stake walls of the bed of said truck so that said stake wall forms one of the walls of said crate, and having novel attaching means adapting it to be affixed to virtually any stake wall, regardless of the width and spacing of the slats of said wall.

United States Patent 1 Johannes Nov. 20, 1973 ANIMAL CRATE FOR PICK-UPTRUCKS [76] Inventor: John H. Johannes, Rt. 1, Robinson,

Kans. 66532 [22] Filed: Apr. 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 248,252

[52] US. Cl. 119/17 [51] Int. Cl A0lk 29/00 [58] Field of Search 119/17,7, 19, 42,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1932 Bartlett 119/7 XPrimary Examinerllugh R. Chamblee AttorneyJohn A. Hamilton [5 7]ABSTRACT An animal crate for use in connection with pick-up trucks, saidcrate being adapted to be releasably secured to the exterior side ofeither or both of the stake walls of the bed of said truck so that saidstake wall forms one of the walls of said crate, and having novelattaching means adapting it to be affixed to virtually any stake wall,regardless of the width and spacing of the slats of said wall.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ANIMAL CRATE FOR PICK-UP TRUCKS Thisinvention relates to new and useful improvements in animal crates, andhas particular reference to an animal crate especially adapted for usein connection with pick-up trucks.

Nearly all farmers, ranchers, and many others, have at least theoccasional need to transport small animals, such as calves, pigs or evendogs from place to place, and it would be advantageous to be able to doso by means of pick-up trucks, the use of which is virtually universal.Pick-up trucks, however, are not usually provided with enclosed beds, orany other means for the enclosure or confinement of animals.

The primary object of the present invention, there fore, is theprovision of an animal crate especially adapted for use in connectionwith pick-up trucks.

Another object is the provision of an animal crate of the characterdescribed which, although amply large to transport at least as many asfour calves or even more smaller animals, does not obstruct the normalcargo space of the truck bed nor reduce the capacity thereof for othercargo.

A further object is the provision of an animal crate of the characterdescribed which is adapted to be releasably attached to the exteriorside of the ordinary slatted stake wall with which the beds of pick-uptrucks are commonly equipped, in such a mariner that said stake wallconstitutes one of the confining walls of the crate. I I

A still further object is the provision of an animal crate of thecharacter described in which the means for attaching it to the stakewall is readily adjustable to accommodate the crate for attachment tostake walls in which the width and spacing of the slats may vary oversubstantial ranges.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency anddependability of operation, and adaptability for a wide range of usages.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appearin the course of the specification, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a pick-up truck,showing an animal crate embodying the present invention mountedoperative'ly on one of the stake walls thereof, said stake wall beingpartially broken away to avoid confusion of lines.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line llIl of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line lIIllIof FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line IVIV ofFIG. 2, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line VV ofFIG. 3.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the severalviews, and the numeral 2 applies generally to a pick-up truck having acab 4, rear wheels 6, and a truck bed 8 having upstanding side walls 10,all as standard and well known in the art. Commonly, pick-up truck bedsare also furnished with stake walls 12 (one shown), which constituteupward extensions of the side walls of the truck bed. Such stake walls,which are usually removable, are formed of vertical posts or stakes 14to which are affixed spaced apart, horizontally extending slats l6, andhave the primary function of increasing the load capacity of the truckbed. Both the height of such stake walls, as well as the width, spacingand number of the slats l6 thereof, vary widely according to themanufacturer thereof, or according to specialized purposes for which thetruck bed is to be used.

An animal crate embodying the present invention is indicated generallyby the numeral 18 and is shown attached to the exterior side of stakewall 12. It will be understood that a similar crate may be attached alsoto the other stake wall of the truck bed. The crate is generallyrectilinear in form. The front wall 20, outside vertical wall 22 and topwall 24 thereof constitute open-work grids of rods or bars arranged atright angles and welded attheir points of intersection. The spacing ofthe rods and the size of the openings therebetween may be selected withthe size of the animals to be confined therein in mind. The side of thecrate toward stake wall 12 is substantially open, being traversedvertically only by a series of strap metal posts 26 spaced along thefront-tore'ar length of the crate. The inner edge of front crate wall 20is welded to the foremost of posts 26, and the inner edge of top cratewall 24 is welded to the upper ends of all of said posts. The upper endportion of each post 26 is bent inwardly and downwardly to form a hook28 which may be inserted between any selected pair of slats 16 to engagethe lower of said slats to support the crate, as best shown in FIGS. 3and 4. Said hook should be sufiiciently open that it may be insertedbetween the stake wall slats even when said slats are quite closelyspaced.

At theirlower ends, each post 26 is bent outwardly to form ahorizontally extending beam 30, which is welded at its outer end-to thelower edge of outer crate wall 22. A plank 32, extending the full lengthof the crate and forming the floor of the crate, is supported by beams30, and secured thereto by bolts 34. The rearwardwall of the crate isformed by a door 36 hinged to outer crate wall 22 at 38, and securedreleasably closed by a'hasp fastener 40 carried by the rearmost of posts26. Animals are of course loaded into the crate through its rearward endwhen door 36 is open and floor 32 is extended somewhat rearwardlybeneath said door to facilitate this loading. Also, the floor issupplied with a series of cleats 42 secured to its upper surface atintervals therealong to provide better footing for the animals.

Mounted slidably on at least two of posts 26, for movement upwardly anddownwardly therealong is a slide 44. Mounted in the wall of said slidefacing stake wall 12 is a horizontal bolt 46 which projects inwardly ofsaid stake wall, between a pair of the slats 16 thereof, as best shownin FIGS. 3 and 5. Mounted rotatably and slidably on said bolt is acrossbar 48, said bolt passing through a hole 50 formed through saidcrossbar at the midpoint thereof, and said bolt is provided with a nut52 securing said crossbar thereon. Said crossbar is of a length at leastsomewhat greater than the vertical spacing between adjacent slats 16.

The crate is mounted on stake wall 12 by first engaging hooks 28 of itsposts 26 over the upper edge of a selected one of slats 16 of said wall,the selection being determined by the height at which it may be desiredto support the crate. In trucks having high stake walls, it is possibleto mount two crates on a single stake wall, in over-and-under relation.Crates may of course be mounted on the stake walls at both sides of thetruck. Then the lower edge of each crate is swung outwardly from thestake wall, using hooks 28 as pivots, and slides 44 are adjustedvertically on posts 26 until bolts 46 and cross-bars 48 turned intoparallel relation with slats 16, can pass inwardly between some adjacentpair of said slats, preferably as close as possible to the bottom of thecrate. Crossbars 48 are then turned crosswise of slats 16, to overliethe inner surfaces of adjacent slats 16, and nuts 52 are tightened toclamp said crossbars firmly in place. This clamping action serves notonlyto prevent any outward movement of the bottom of the crate from thestake wall, but also to prevent any bodily upward movement of the craterelative to the stake wall, which could occur due to bouncing of thetruck on rough roads, and which might otherwise cause disengagement ofhooks 28 from the stake wall. The vertical adjustment of slides 44 onposts 26 is necessitated, if the crate is to have universalapplicability to virtually any stake wall, by the fact that the widthand spacing of the slats in various stake walls is far fromstandardized, and varies widely.

Thus it will be apparent that an animal crate having several advantageshas been produced. With a length of about 7 feet, a width of about onefoot, and an average height of about 2 feet, as presently contemplated,it can transport at least two calves, or a larger number of smalleranimals. At the same time, crates can be mounted on the exterior sidesof both stake walls of a standard pick-up truck the bed of which is 6feet wide,

without exceeding the maximum vehicle width of '8 feet permitted by thehighway regulations of most states. The crates do not occupy or obstructthe normal cargo space of the truck, nor hinder access thereto. Thecrates utilize the truck stake walls as operative walls of the cratesthemselves, and are universally adaptable for mounting on virtually anystake wall. They may be easily mounted or demounted, according towhether their use is or is not desired at any particular time, andrequire no alteration or modification whatsoever of the stake walls orany other portion of the truck itself.

Although I have shown and described a specific embodiment of myinvention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes ofstructure and operation could be made without departing from the spiritof the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An animal crate for use in combination with a pick-up truck having abed equipped with stake walls, said crate comprising:

a. walls defining a hollow, generally rectilinear crate adapted to bedisposed adjacent and contacting the exterior surface of a stake wall ofsaid truck, and

b. attaching means carried by said crate and operable to secure saidcrate to said stake wall, whereby said crate is disposed exteriorly tothe bed of said truck, said stake wall including horizontally extendingspaced apart slats, andsaid attaching means including a plurality ofbolts carried by said crate and projecting horizontally therefrom toextend between adjacent pairs of the slats of said stake wall to theinterior side of said wall, and an enlargement carried by each of saidbolts and operable to engage clampingly the interior surfaces of theslats adjacent said bolt.

2. An animal crate as recited in claim 1 wherein said enlargementcomprises a crossbar arranged normally to said bolt and being slidableand rotatable thereon, said crossbar having a width less than thespacing between said stake wall slats and a length greater than saidspacing, and with the addition of a nut threaded on said bolt at theside of said crossbar opposite from said crate.

3. An animal crate as recited in claim 1 with the addition of aplurality of slides carried by said crate for free vertical movementrelative thereto, each of said bolts being carried by one of saidslides.

4. An animal crate as recited in claim 3 wherein said attaching meansadditionally includes a plurality of downwardly opening hooks rigidlyaffixed to said crate and operable to engage downwardly over the upperedge of a slat of said stake wall.

5. An animal crate as recited in claim 4 wherein the side of said crateadjacent said stake wall is substantially open, wherebywhen said crateis secured to said stake wall by said attaching means, said stake wallforms an effective closure wall for the open side of said crate.

6. An animal crate as recited in claim 1 having openwork front, top andouter side walls, a solid floor, and a hinged, lockable door forming therear wall thereof, the inner side thereof being substantially open, saidattaching means being operable to secure said crate to said stake wallwith its open side against said stake wall, said attaching meansadditionally including:

a. a plurality of vertical posts forming fixed elements of said crateand traversing the open side thereof,

b. downwardly opening hooks formed by said posts at the upper endsthereof and operable to engage downwardly over the upper edge of one ofthe stake wall slots,

0. a slide carried by each of certain of said posts for verticalmovement thereon, each of said bolts being affixed to one of saidslides, and wherein the enlargement carried by each of said boltscomprises d. a crossbar mounted slidably and rotatably on said bolt, thewidth and length of said crossbar being respectively less than andgreater than the vertical spacing between said adjacent slots, and

e. a nut threaded on said bolt outwardly from its associated crossbar.

1. An animal crate for use in combination with a pick-up truck having abed equipped with stake walls, said crate comprising: a. walls defininga hollow, generally rectilinear crate adapted to be disposed adjacentand contacting the exterior surface of a stake wall of said truck, andb. attaching means carried by said crate and operable to secure saidcrate to said stake wall, whereby said crate is disposed exteriorly tothe bed of said truck, said stake wall including horizontally extendingspaced apart slats, and said attaching means including a plurality ofbolts carried by said crate and projecting horizontally therefrom toextend between adjacent pairs of the slats of said stake wall to theinterior side of said wall, and an enlargement carried by each of saidbolts and operable to engage clampingly the interior surfaces of theslats adjacent said bolt.
 2. An animal crate as recited in claim 1wherein said enlargement comprises a crossbar arranged normally to saidbolt and being slidable and rotatable thereon, said crossbar having awidth less than the spacing between said stake wall slats and a lengthgreater than said spacing, and with the addition of a nut threaded onsaid bolt at the side of said crossbar opposite from said crate.
 3. Ananimal crate as recited in claim 1 with the addition of a plurality ofslides carried by said crate for free vertical movement relativethereto, each of said bolts being carried by one of said slides.
 4. Ananimal crate as recited in claim 3 wherein said attaching meansadditionally includes a plurality of downwardly opening hooks rigidlyaffixed to said crate and operable to engage downwardly over the upperedge of a slat of said stake wall.
 5. An animal crate as recited inclaim 4 wherein the side of said crate adjacent said stake wall issubstantially open, whereby when said crate is secured to said stakewall by said attaching means, said stake wall forms an effective closurewall for the open side of said crate.
 6. An animAl crate as recited inclaim 1 having open-work front, top and outer side walls, a solid floor,and a hinged, lockable door forming the rear wall thereof, the innerside thereof being substantially open, said attaching means beingoperable to secure said crate to said stake wall with its open sideagainst said stake wall, said attaching means additionally including: a.a plurality of vertical posts forming fixed elements of said crate andtraversing the open side thereof, b. downwardly opening hooks formed bysaid posts at the upper ends thereof and operable to engage downwardlyover the upper edge of one of the stake wall slots, c. a slide carriedby each of certain of said posts for vertical movement thereon, each ofsaid bolts being affixed to one of said slides, and wherein theenlargement carried by each of said bolts comprises d. a crossbarmounted slidably and rotatably on said bolt, the width and length ofsaid crossbar being respectively less than and greater than the verticalspacing between said adjacent slots, and e. a nut threaded on said boltoutwardly from its associated crossbar.